Inflation Bug Still a Danger to More Than Half of All Bitcoin Full Nodes

Figures published by bitcoin core developer Luke Dashjr show that more than half of the full nodes in the bitcoin network are still running client software vulnerable to the inflation bug discovered in September 2018.This revelation poses some danger to the network, as software vulnerabilities are a clear and present danger to the fidelity of bitcoin.

Most bitcoin full nodes still vulnerable to the inflation bugAs reported by Cointelegraph on May 8, research by Dashjr shows that more than 50% of full nodes on the bitcoin network are still running software versions of the bitcoin client that are susceptible to the inflation bug.

Back in September 2018, developers first discovered the inflation bug - which, in theory, could allow miners to inflate the total bitcoin supply beyond the 21 million BTC by spending multiple unspent transaction outputs in the same transaction.

One key takeaway from Dashjr's analysis is the total number of full nodes on the bitcoin network.

Called listening nodes, these full nodes have open port connections that can be probed.

Several months after the issue ought to have been solved, it appears that more than half the full nodes on the network are still running client implementations vulnerable to the bug.

"The inflation bug is in practice a network-wide risk. It would allow a 51% miner attack to cause inflation. The inflationary chain would only be accepted by vulnerable nodes and light wallets."

While this process is ongoing, does the bitcoin network face any credible risk stemming from the fact that half of the full nodes are vulnerable to the inflation bug? The answer to the question might lie in who really holds the true power in the network: miners or developers?

In 2018, bitcoin developer, Jimmy Song expressed the view that rogue miners trying to take advantage of the inflation bug would find it nearly impossible to succeed.

For one, Song said that not every full node runs the bitcoin core, a large number prefer to deploy custom iterations of the bitcoin client.